Whether you’re a history buff, a true crime enthusiast, or a ghost hunter, the entire length of Interstate 95 satisfies every desire. From a haunted street in Maine to a cemetery in Florida, here’s a route full of local lore, a somber penitentiary, and historical hotels, schools, and churches to foster and feed your curiosity. For the sake of concision and to not overload you with too much information in large blocks of text, here’s your I-95 Road Trip in list form! The bullets are just a few notes and highlights for brief additional context.
1. Haynesville Woods, Maine: the route 2A section in South Aroostook County.
Has a song named after this area: A Tombstone Every Mile
Was used to transport potatoes in the early 1900s, before I-95 was built
Multiple hitchhiking ghost sightings
2. Easton, Connecticut: Union Cemetery
A 400-year-old cemetery; considered one of the most haunted cemeteries in the US
Sightings of a Lady in White and a pair of glowing red eyes above the tombstones
Off-limits after sunset–go during the day!
3. Providence, Rhode Island: The Graduate Providence Hotel (formerly the Providence Biltmore Hotel)
A speakeasy during the prohibition and a meeting place for mobsters
Ceilings and crystal chandeliers designed by the same architect that designed Grand Central Station (and they are still in place today)
John F. Kennedy, Arthur Miller, and Ester Williams are a few famous folks that have stayed in this hotel
At 18-stories, was the tallest building in 1928
4. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Eastern State Penitentiary
Once the most expensive and most famous prison in the world, running from 1829 to 1971
During regular daytime hours, offers many guided tours and historical and occasional art exhibits
During the Halloween season, offers haunted historic tours, five haunted houses, and themed lounges
5. Petersburg, Virginia: Blandford Cemetery and Church
A burial ground since the 18th century, the oldest grave dates to 1702
A mass grave of 30,000 Civil War soldiers sits on top of Memorial Hill
Blandford Church is the oldest building in Petersburg, erected in 1736
Offers an evening tour on Halloween night
6. Savannah, Georgia: Hamilton-Turner Inn & Marshall House
Parkside mansion built in 1873 for “The Lord of Lafayette Square”, Samuel Pugh Hamilton
The first residence in Savannah to get electricity in 1883
Year-round ghost tours available for Hamilton-Turner Inn
Marshall House: won Best of Savannah and Trip Advisor’s Travelers’ Choice for places to stay
Previously a hospital for Civil War soldiers
7. Jacksonville, Florida: The Devil’s School
Opened in 1918 and named Public School No. 4, now called Anne Lytle Elementary school
Local myths include a murderous janitor, cannibalistic principal, and several sightings of ghosts and/or other entities, though the only proven lore is the abandoned building being a hotspot for vandals and people experiencing homelessness
Cannot tour indoors but you can look at it from a distance outside
8. St. Augustine, Florida: St. Augustine Lighthouse
The building has existed since 1589 and includes a museum of 500 years of maritime history
Has been a working lighthouse since 1874
Offers haunted tours and ghost hunting; learn about the families of the previous lighthouse keepers
9. Port Saint Lucie, Florida: Oak Hammock’s Park & Devil’s Tree
Park was established in 2000 with plenty of trails for hikers, bikers, and folks walking their dogs
Park holds a sinister tree called “The Devil’s Tree”: a site of multiple murders, exorcisms, and cult activity since 1970
The Devil’s Tree is also rumored to be surrounded by paranormal activity
10. Orlando, Florida: Greenwood Cemetery
Established in 1880; originally the Orlando Cemetery, it was the first acreage in Orlando that was dedicated to burial plots, to decrease the number of lost graves
Is now 86 acres and includes the Greenwood Wetlands, and dedicated burial sections for veterans of the Civil War, the Spanish-American, both World Wars, and more.
Offers moonlit walking tours!
Though this list was put together to satisfy that urge to get scared during this Halloween season, it’s not surprising that this inadvertently became a historical adventure! From Maine to Florida–the entire length of Interstate 95–there are cemeteries, structures, churches, and more that date back to even the 1500s. Can you believe that we’ve kept some of these historical landmarks in place to this day? With so much history and people coming in and out of these areas for hundreds of years, there’s something sure to surprise, teach, and possibly scare everyone.
For a visual of this road trip:
